My gosh :o

All those reviews the last chapter got! I'm so happy. XD

So happy, in fact, that I decided to write and finish this new chapter in one sitting, so's you guys could have it faster!

Warning: There is like...tons of romantic angst in this chapter. Brace yourselves. Lol.

Chapter 6

Kiara steadily approached Pride Rock, and she couldn't help but notice the gloomy clouds that had formed around her. She supposed she hadn't payed much attention to the sky lately, but it certainly scared her that things were changing so fast.

"Kiara!" Nala came running towards her, and immediately after skidding to a halt, she nuzzled her daughter furiously. "You had me - us - worried sick!"

"Sorry." Kiara muttered.

"Where've you been?" Nala asked, pulling away.

"Just out," The princess replied. "thinking."

"...Well," Nala's expression softened. "it's not much of a surprise that we all need it."

"I know." Kiara sighed. "And I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."

"That's okay." Nala lifted her muzzle into the air and pricked her ears. "I don't know what's taking that patrol so long."

"Ahaha..." A dark chuckle from behind made them both jump.

Kiara flipped around, her alarmed expression turned into one of contempt.

"Zira..." Nala growled.

The bony Outsider lioness ignored her. "It's amusing. How you think you're still in control, Nala."

"How so?" Kiara challenged before her mother could give a snappy reply. "No lioness is going to obey a word Kovu says."

"That's why he's generously giving them time to settle." Zira said contently, sitting down.

"Settle?" Nala hissed in disbelief. "No one's going to be able to settle with him in control."

"It'll come in time." Zira informed her, in what was, most likely to what she believed, a reassuring voice. "While hardly any lioness makes a gap in her complaining, it meanwhile appears that none of them realize how proud I am."

"Of course," Nala narrowed her eyes. "I almost forgot how cruel you were." She took a step forward. "I almost forgot just the reason why we banished you in the first place."

"How dare you..."

Kiara's heart skipped a beat.

Kovu came strolling over. Too soon.

"How dare I?" Nala grunted.

"That's the question." Kovu smirked at her. "As little to no respect my mother deserves, she is worth something. We all have feelings, don't we? Feelings that could quite easily be hurt...?"

Zira casted him an odd glare through her blood-red eyes. "That is quite enough with the mouthing off, Kovu." She fought to keep her voice even.

"Mouthing off?" Kovu blinked at her.

"Go back to the cave..." Zira grumbled.

"Oh, but I wish to speak with these two. There is business we need to discuss that simply cannot be put off any longer." Kovu told his mother with an eerily polite smile. "You...you said I'd have full control, after all." His voice lowered to a murmur as he went on. "I really think you should go back to the cave, Mother."

Feeling it her time to jump in, Kiara slowly edged closer to Kovu. She knew he had an interest in her, and quite a repulsing one at that, but that still didn't keep her from being cautious around him. She didn't put it past Kovu to be an abusive mate of sorts.

"Yes, Zira." She agreed, letting a small, seductive smile fall over her features. "Leave us."

Kovu took a confused side glance at her.

"...Kiara?" Nala mumbled pointedly, looking shocked.

Kiara winked at her before going on. "Your son is in control. Let him have a few hours of power alone."

Zira let her gaze rest upon each of them, from Nala's shocked expression, to Kiara's odd seductress act towards Kovu, to Kovu himself, who looked to be on the top of the world at the moment.

"Have your fun, dear." She whispered to Kovu finally, stalking off.

"Off to go kill another cub, I suspect." Kovu remarked casually.

Kiara nearly snapped from her act.

Kill another cub? Just how many cubs has she killed?

"She's not much at the best of times," Kovu sat down beside her. "but she's Mom."

"And...quite a lucky son you are." Kiara gingerly lifted her tail to flick his chin with the brownish tuft at the end, making him blink in genuine surprise this time.

Noticing the hesitance in her daughter's voice, Nala realized the act. She rose back to her paws and gave Kiara a pointed stare that obviously meant, "Don't take things too far, because I might just be killing off cubs soon enough as well." before padding away.

"I'm glad they're gone, truth be told." Kiara murmured.

"Are you, now?" Kovu suppressed a smirk.

"Yes...but I thought you wanted my mother here as well." Kiara pointed out.

"She doesn't need to be here like you do." Kovu, strangely enough, untangled himself from her and moved a very short distance away, leaving Kiara to regret not sinking her claws into his paw sooner.

"What's the matter?" She muttered.

"Nothing." Kovu grunted, clearing his throat.

Kiara felt a strange pang of emotion rising into her chest. She came to stand again, leaning in a bit as she spoke once more. "...Kovu, you do realize that if I ever wanted to get into a relationship with you, I'd want it to be real. Right?"

"Real?" He looked confused.

Kiara rolled her eyes. "Yes, real. Like, where we'd actually love each other." She eyed him intently for a moment, and her next words were nearly inaudible. "...Do you love me?"

Kovu was silent, though he looked fairily alarmed. He stared at her now, speechless.

Kiara felt as though he had sunken his claws into her heart. She took a few steps back. "That's what I thought." A glare replaced her sorrowful expression. "I'll never forgive you for murdering my father, Kovu." She gazed down at her paws, refusing to meet his eyes, refusing to get lost in them again...

"That only adds onto the fact that you only want to become my mate because you'll then eventually have an heir." She felt her breath become more and more ragged by the second.

"Is that the only reason?" Kovu muttered, seeming to be talking to himself now.

Kiara turned away, hiding her teary eyes from his view. "When you have an answer to that question, I'll be more than happy to hear it." She pelted away from him before he could reply.

Why did he do this to her? He didn't deserve the privilage of doing this to her.

And yet he was...

...and, to her own dismay, it felt right for Kiara. It felt right for her to cry about him.

He wasn't just a guy.

Because she thought him to be the guy. The one she was to settle down with, have a family with.

No...no! I hate him. I do.

Kiara pushed through some reeds and let her paws sink into the sopping wet sand at the shore of the waterhole. Her tears fell into the water, making a rippling effect along the surface.

It had been a while since she looked at her reflection.

It...it startled her.

Because, staring right back at her, was a powerful-looking, golden-brown furred lioness with her father's eyes. With her father's spirit.

Her expression proved nothing of this power, however. It was quite easily hidden under all the sadness, all the uncertainty. She, for the most part, looked like a queen.

Anyone would be able to tell, though, that her appearance suggested far more promising things than her mind ever would.

Sorry it is rather short. They'll be longer soon enough.

So yeah, if you didn't notice, Kiara was planning on screwing with Kovu's head a bit by showing an interest in him (which is pretty true, though she convinces herself not to believe it). But she ended up getting distracted when he moved away from her; an odd movement that she hadn't expected from him (and will be explained in a later chapter).

Look out for the next one soon!